A Princess and a Thief
by DarkestHeart123
Summary: Invited to the isolated, wintery Kingdom of Arendelle at the behest of Southern Isle royalty, Princess Anna Dunbroch of Scotland finds herself enamoured with a beautiful thief with sapphire eyes and a past shrouded in secrecy. Determined to set right the wrongs of the past, both Anna and her thief will come to learn that the path to true happiness comes with its own dangers.
1. Chapter 1

**A Princess and A Thief  
**

 **Chapter 1**

Princess Anna Dunbroch of Scotland heaved a heavy sigh as she stared out of her carriage window. With her elbow balanced on the edge of the carriage window and her chin resting upon the base of her palm, Anna drifted into daydream as her mother regaled her with the most fascinating topic of 'Princess Etiquette'. Casting her older sister, the Princess Merida, a glance Anna struggled to keep from giggling as her dear sister struggled to even pretend to be interested in their mother's words. If she were being honest, with the way that Merida could barely keep her eyes open she would assume that the heir to the Scottish throne was close to falling asleep but what made the situation all the more laughable was their mother's utter indifference to the fact that neither of her daughters were paying attention and were suffering from the worst case of boredom known to mankind.

Unable to contain herself a very un-ladylike snort escaped from the young princess, causing both parent and sister to turn their attention to her.

"A Princess should never snort" her mother admonished.

"But mom surely there will be other times ye can bore us with your 'How a Princess should behave' guide. Tell ye what, why don't ye tell us about Arendelle? What's the wintery kingdom really like?" Anna adored her older sister; she was so forthright in a way Anna would never dream of being with their mother.

"A Princess should always conduct herself in a manner that befits her station, one day you will be thankful I bothered to tell you these things" stated the Queen Elinor of Scotland, her tone clipped and a frown on her brow. The two princesses watched as the Queen took a thoughtful pause; a royal invitation had been extended to the Kings and Queens of Arendelle's neighbours and allies to attend a ball though its purpose had yet to be revealed. It put the Queen on edge and she didn't like the idea of attending, so much pain and darkness had befallen the once vibrant kingdom, it made her heart heavy with sorrow as the memories of her beloved friends swam to the forefront of her thoughts. Realising that she had her daughter's undivided attention, the Queen released a heavy sigh, both princesses would've been too young to remember the horrid events surrounding the Southern Isle's occupation of Arendelle.

"For years the Kingdom of Arendelle has been secluded from the rest of the world so I couldn't tell you what it's like now, though it was not always so. There was a time when King Adgar and his wife, Queen Idunn were the talk of every nation. So handsome was the King and so beautiful was his wife, they were the envy of all Royal couples. But most importantly, they were good to their people and Arendelle flourished underneath their careful guidance. They were my friends and I loved them both dearly…." Anna watched as sorrow touched her mother's eyes and her heart ached for the deep sadness found within them.

"….they had a daughter; she would've been just a year older that you Merida, a beautiful girl with eyes of the lightest sapphire and hair softer than snow. They named her Elsa. The Kingdom rejoiced and the celebrations that followed were some of the happiest moments of my life….." a sad smile formed on the Queen's pale face as she recalled how they all drank and danced in celebration of Adgar and Idunn's baby girl, Princess Elsa of Arendelle.

"The years went by and Arendelle prospered. I was pregnant with your brothers when an official letter baring Arendelle's royal seal was delivered to us. Your father brought it to our chambers and together we read that our dear friends had been killed during a coup lead by King Ulfred of the Southern Isles. And just like that, no one could contact Arendelle. No correspondence got in or came out and merchant ships were forced to turn back the moment they docked. For fifteen years Arendelle has been silent. That is until we received this invitation to attend the ball"

"What happened to the Princess? What about Elsa?" asked Anna though the truth was obvious; the princess was surely killed along with her parents.

"The letter said nothing about Elsa but the likelihood is that she perished along with her parents"

Any other questions were interrupted by their carriage coming to a stop. Glancing out of her carriage window, Anna watched as an unknown man stood next to the carriage. By the way he was dressed in a military uniform with his crossbow in his hand Anna summarised that this had to be one of Arendelle's soldiers. But what was he doing here?

"Your majesties, I apologise for stopping you here but we have a serious bandit issue in this region so we are under orders from Prince Hans to escort you from here to the castle. There is nothing to fear" Merida snorted at the implication that they needed protection.

"We Scots are the most ruthless warriors in the world. Ye think a few bandits could get the best of us now do ye? Sounds to me your Prince Hans doesn't think very highly of us, in fact I'm inclined to feel insulted that he should feel the need to send us an escort" she enjoyed how the soldier flushed with embarrassment. Queen Elinor sent her eldest a disapproving look before addressing the fumbling solider as he sputtered out apologies.

"We thank you for providing us an escort. Please lead the way" the soldier nodded before quickly walking back to the front of their party.

"A Princess does not cause trouble for those who are merely doing as they are instructed"

A groan escaped from Merida as the carriage began to move once again and her mother picked up from where she left off on her long list of Princess Etiquette.

Anna shook her head before once again losing herself in a daydream. This time however, she couldn't help but wonder about the strange Kingdom she had found herself in.


	2. Chapter 2

A Princess and A Thief

Chapter 2

It must've been no later than midday when she slipped into town. With the hood of her battered winter cloak covering her head and a walking stick in hand she pressed herself against the wall of a nearby house to avoid being seen by a patrol of Southern Isle guards as they walked past the mouth of the alley.

After a few moments she quietly made her way to the end of the alley, she glanced around the corner to make sure there were no more guards and that the patrol was far enough down the narrow street before grinning. Hunching herself forward and leaning heavily on the walking stick anyone would think she was a homeless cripple and wouldn't take any notice of her. That was the plan anyway.

Hobbling out of the alley, she made her way towards the town centre. A smile formed on her pale lips as she overheard the townsfolk she passed along the way gossip, turns out the Butcher's son, Klaus had finally proposed to his sweetheart and they were to be married in a fortnight. It was about time in her opinion; she would need to pay a visit to the happy couple to pass on her best wishes.

But that was for another day.

Today was a very special day for someone very close to her heart and she was very excited to see them. Eventually, after passing through the marketplace unnoticed she came to her destination at the edge of the town centre. A wide smile stretched across her lips as she tapped on the beaten oak door of a relatively well kept house. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that she wasn't being watched she waited for the door to open, luckily there were very few people around so the chances of her being recognised were minimal at best.

The sound footsteps on the other side of the door caught her attention before the door opened and revealed a portly gentleman. From his point of view all he could see was an unrecognisable figure with a walking stick and a cloak so he gazed down at her with a confused look, to his knowledge he didn't know anyone who he would consider crippled.

"Hello Kai." his confused expression quickly transformed into a warm smile, he would recognise that voice anywhere.

"Come in. Come in." his happy insistence warmed her heart as she quickly entered his home. Once the door was closed she stood to her full height and lowered her hood, no longer needing to keep up pretences.

"Elsa it's so good to see you." the older man whispered before wrapping the young woman in a tight embrace. She couldn't keep the smile from her face as she returned the hug. She loved this man like a father and to see him after so many weeks brought her such joy. A squeal of delight interrupted their reunion, twisting her head around in search of the little boy she knew would be here Elsa barely had time to catch the energetic blonde haired six…no seven year old in her arms.

"You came! I knew you would, see Kai I told you she wouldn't miss my birthday!" squealed Olaf as he hugged the blonde. A joyous laugh escaped from Elsa as she lowered herself to her knees so the young boy could wrap his arms around her neck in one of his fiercest hugs yet.

"Of course I came. How else would I give you your present?" watching Olaf pull away and look up at her with such excitement, Elsa quickly searched the inside of her large satchel for the wooden sword she hand crafted for him as the poor boy looked ready to burst with excitement. The look of awe on his face as she presented him the toy sword melted her heart.

"For me?" he asked, completely awestruck by the gift. Nodding her head the boy squealed excitedly as he took the toy from her and rushed towards the back of the house.

"Gerda! Gerda come see what Elsa got me!" Getting back to her feet she felt a weight settle on her shoulder, turning her attention back to the man who had practically raised her she noticed that the weight she had felt was in fact his hand and his smile had faded to be replaced with a concerned frown.

"We've been so worried about you Elsa. Where have you been?" a frown formed on her face as her heart tugged in her chest, she hated worrying them. Releasing a sigh, she once again reached into her cloak and withdrew a tied pouch from the inside pocket.

"This is for all of you" she stated as she took hold of Kai's hand and pressed the pouch into his open palm. His eyes widened as he felt the heavy weight of the leather and the familiar sound of coins scraping together. Tightening his fist around the pouch his heart sank. Ever since the good King Adgar and Queen Idunn had been murdered the Southern Isles had created a living nightmare for Arendelle's people. Their greed knew no limits and the taxes were impossible to pay, at least once a week Southern Isle tax collectors would visit the homes of everyone in town to collect taxes, those who had managed to scrape a living paid, and those who couldn't often found themselves beaten and bloodied for wasting precious Southern Isle Kingdom time.

It was a desperate situation and people were losing hope that things would get better eventually.

"Elsa we love you so much and we understand why you are doing this but I am begging you to please put an end to this. Stealing from them will only cause more problems; it isn't worth your life."

"What else can I do Kai? The way they treat us is barbaric, they beat us, starve us and rob us all to punish us for crimes we never committed against them. They spit on us as if we are no more than dogs, I'm only taking back what is ours and making sure that everyone gets their share." She was determined to make a difference, refusing to stand idle and watch innocent people suffer at the hands of their oppressors.

Kai pressed his fingers to his brow, massaging the area in frustration. Curse her stubbornness, why couldn't she see the danger she was putting herself in? He walked past her and reached for a piece of parchment on the wooden table. Grasping the parchment in his hand he extended it to Elsa, encouraging her to take it from him. Confused, Elsa took the parchment and read the words printed on it.

It was a reward poster. For her capture.

Looking up at Kai she watched as he kept his gaze firmly on the floor as he bit his lower lip. He was worried for her, worried what the townsfolk would resort to if pushed hard enough. Elsa did so much for them; she put her life of the line stealing from the tax collectors as they travelled from town to town, she gave them hope, but Kai feared that all it would take was for the guards to press hard on the right person and then they would give Elsa up to alleviate the pressure and gain the reward.

Desperate people did desperate things.

The tense atmosphere was eased somewhat by the appearance of Gerda alongside Olaf. Elsa smiled warmly at the woman as she quickly strode towards her and wrapped her in a fierce embrace.

"Oh Elsa it is so good to see you" she whispered as happy tears trickled down her cheeks. Elsa returned the hug with equal ferocity. If Kai was like her father, then Gerda was definitely her like a mother to her. The old woman had gone above and beyond for her and supported her in any way she could. Pulling away from the embrace after a few minutes Elsa smiled as Gerda wiped away her tears.

"Don't you mind me, I'm just so happy to see you dear" muttered Gerda.

"Kai can I go outside and play?!" pleaded Olaf as he jumped up and down on his toes like an excitable bunny. With a quick nod a happy cry erupted from the young boy as he burst out of the house, intent on showing his present to the other children.

"So much energy." muttered Kai as he watched through the window as Olaf greeted his friends in the town square, showing off his new toy.

"Elsa you must stay for supper. I insist" stated Gerda before turning around and heading to the parlour, not giving Elsa an opportunity to refuse her. Not that she would dare, when Gerda insisted on something it was simply better to just do as she wanted.

Elsa approached the window and watched as Olaf played with the other children. She couldn't even begin to describe the elation she felt as she watched Olaf and the children laugh and play, completely ignorant of the horrible world they lived in. Both Elsa and Kai watched curiously as what appeared to be an escort of soldiers and a carriage entered the square. It was very rare for a member of the nobility to visit the town and even rarer for a member of royalty to visit but from the looks of the amount of guards and the gorgeous design of the carriage it had to be royalty.

The carriage came to a stop and as the door opened; Elsa felt her heart flutter in her chest and her breath leave her as she stared in awe at the beautiful woman who emerged from the carriage. She was like nothing Elsa had ever seen before. There simply weren't enough words in their language to describe the vision she saw before her.

"She's beautiful" whispered Elsa as she watched the red head beauty, immediately intrigued by the stranger in the green dress and perhaps even a bit smitten without even realising it.

She felt a strange desire, something she had never felt before, the closest thing to describe it as would be a compulsion that screamed at her to meet this enchantress, to converse with her, court her…it didn't matter just so long as she was near her.

A smile pulled at her lips. She had to meet this woman, it would be a challenge given her obvious higher status and the ransom currently placed on Elsa's head….but then again Elsa was never one to shy away from a challenge.


	3. Chapter 3

A Princess and A Thief

Chapter 3

"Mom we have to stop here!" begged Merida as she leaned out of the carriage window. The Arendelian town they were entering was once famous for producing the best archers in all of Arendelle, or so Queen Elinor remembered being told.

Both the Queen and Anna couldn't help but smile as Merida excitedly took in the surrounding town.

"I wonder who their best archer is, I wonder if they're as good as me and Anna, maybe we could have a match and find out."

Anna had to admit that although she was a fairly good archer she was nowhere near as good as Merida. But horse riding; now that was an entirely different matter.

Merida could have her bow, Anna had her horses.

"I could do with a walk. Tell them to stop the carriage." Merida smiled brightly before yelling up to the driver. Coming to a stop Merida opened the door and sprang from the carriage. Anna grinned as she opened the door on her side before stepping out into what appeared to be the town square. Smiling brightly she walked towards the front of the carriage, running her fingers through the short hair of the beautiful white mare pulling the carriage before coming to stand in front of the animal. Stroking the mares face she listened to her mother talk with their escort.

"Your Majesty we really shouldn't stop here. We are under strict orders to escort you straight to the castle….."

"You were charged with escorting us to the castle were you not?" asked Elinor as she began to walk towards the town's smithy, closely followed by Merida and a group of Southern Isle guards.

"Yes your majesty"

"Then your ability to protect both me and my children should be more than sufficient, unless Prince Hans has sent incompetent soldiers to protect us" the soldier sputtered out an apology as he and his men followed after Queen Elinor and Merida, the eldest princess struggling to keep herself from laughing at the poor soldier's attempts to save face.

Hearing laughter, Anna turned to find a group of children playing. She watched as a young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes waved a toy sword around, fighting off the other children's attempts to catch him.

"You'll never catch me!" he cried before attempting a deep booming laugh.

"There is no escape! Hand yourself over Olaf!" ordered the apparent 'leader' in their little game. Anna chuckled as the little boy known as Olaf declared that he would never surrender and ran, turning every so often to defend himself against the sticks the boys tried to hit him with as they gave chase.

So engrossed by the scene in front of her Anna failed to notice the presence of another. Not that it bothered them.

"Hi" Anna's eyes widened at the greeting. This voice was new; soft and pleasant to the ear while making her heart flutter in her chest. Tilting so she could see around the horses head her teal eyes latched onto a stunning young woman with the lightest of blonde hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen.

"H-Hi me?" questioned Anna as she pointed at herself, a blush forming on her lightly freckled cheeks as the beautiful stranger offered a small smile and nod. Anna watched curiously as the woman reached into her cloak and Anna couldn't help but feel a flicker of panic and wonder if this gorgeous woman had ill intentions towards her person but when the woman produced nothing more than a solid red rose Anna was certain she felt herself swoon a little.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady" offered the blonde with the most sincere smile Anna had ever witnessed. Taking the offered flower Anna could feel her cheeks redden further from the rather endearing action.

"Th-Thank you, but you're beautifuller…" Anna cringed at the possible implication that she was calling the woman before her fat.

"I mean you're not fuller but more, more beautiful. I mean you're gorgeous….I'm just going to stop talking now." Mortified by her inability to string a simple sentence without making a fool of herself the second in line to the Scottish throne slammed her mouth shut. The blonde gazed at her affectionately.

"Please don't. If you stopped talking how else would I learn your name?" Anna smiled shyly as she brought the rose to her nose. Inhaling deeply, Anna relished the pleasant scent.

"Anna" she answered. "My name is Anna"

"Anna" whispered the blonde. For a reason she couldn't explain a pleasant warmth filled her at the sound of her name from the intriguing woman before her. Gazing at the woman before her Anna took the opportunity to really look at her; a winter cloak covered her slim shoulders while dark leather boots covered her feet. Anna would be a fool not to notice or appreciate how the woman's trousers accented her long legs perfectly or how her white shirt tastefully clung to her curves.

But despite everything it was the woman's eyes that captivated her most. The lightest blue she had ever seen and so full of life that Anna felt she could stare into them for hours at a time. Upon realizing that she had been staring Anna cleared her throat. It was neither polite nor proper to gaze at another woman, let alone a stranger, the way she had been.

"So now you know my name. I would be grateful to learn yours" the woman smiled teasingly.

"Tell me Anna, why are you here in Arendelle?" the change in subject caused a thin red eyebrow to rise on Anna's tanned face, she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious as to where the conversation was turning.

"The ball tomorrow night of course" The blonde nodded. Anna watched as the blonde grew thoughtful for a few moments before she opened her mouth to speak again.

"If you agree to spend tomorrow with me, I will tell you my name" Anna felt her jaw loosen in shock at the bold proposal. Just who was this woman, this stranger to ask her such a thing?!

"Spend the day with me, allow a true Arendelian to show you about town. I promise you will not be disappointed" Anna had to admit she was tempted, call it a gut feeling but she felt that she could trust this woman and her father had always told her to trust her instincts.

"And if I were to agree to such a thing, how do you propose to get me away from not only my family but the guards so that we may spend the day together?"

Anna couldn't deny that the hopeful look and confident grin that spread across the woman's face wasn't the most attractive thing she had ever seen in her life.

"Let me worry about that. The question is will you?" It was stupid, beyond rational thought and incredibly senseless and immature and yet Anna felt that there was only one answer to the question that she could give.

"Yes. But only if you tell me your name"

The smile that sprung onto the woman's pale face was infectious for Anna couldn't help how her own lips curved of their own volition in response.

"Elsa. My name is Elsa"


End file.
